Not used in play.....unfo

By Diamond
August 15 2013

A read of what the intrepid few who went to Cardiff got up to.Not much cricket and not for the faint hearted.

I travelled down to Cardiff on Tuesday with a view of missing any of the football traffic on the Network for Wednesdays so called friendly International matches.It would seem half of Scotland had travelled already as Paddington had lots of men in kilts on the station and in the bars.A bit of breakfast in the Mad Bear and Bishop before I connected with my train for the quick run down to Cardiff.Quiet journey down and I met with my Welsh host Dave outside the station.Cardiff has changed little since the last time I was down here,it's still basically one of the countries biggest building sites.Quick couple of pints and then the bus up to my "hotel" to find Dave had been adopted by a cat,big old unit but as soft as anything,knew I was a cat person and refused to leave me alone.Dinner at his local The Holybush and then home for a good sleep,it had been a long day and Wednesday promised to be even longer with the floodlit start time.

"Why doe's it always rain on me?"

I awoke Wendnesday to no rain,amazing,I'm in Wales and it is not raining!By the time we had had breakfast it was raining,just drizzly stuff which was due to have missed us but decided not to.Made our way into the City to meet up with Phil and Richard who were on the train down and Dave's friend Derek who was travelling in on the coach from Newport.All met at the Westgate (which still has Reverend James on tap) and had a good value meal there before heading up to the ground. I had to buy a ticket so made my way towards the booth but was stopped by a local asking me if I needed a ticket.I said yes and he said "Have this one I have a spare in my family ticket".Tried to give him a few quid for it but he wouldn't take it.What a top bunch of people cricket supporters are.

"No Brainer!"

Those who think the service in the Middlesex Room isn't up to much listen up.The Pavilion bar which serves as the members home at Sofia had no Brains Smooth on tap before the game had even started,you could get it in cans but not a good advert for the bar.I went on the cider leaving the rest of the bitter boys to their cans.

Rain on....game on.

With the match being live on Sky every effort was being made to get a game started even though there was still drizzle in the air.Dex won the toss and under gloomy skies put the Welsh into bat.A pretty good start and Glamorgan are soon 38-3 when Marcus"6 Counties" North departs. Dex puts himself on to bowl and gets lumped into the stand for six but otherwise the bowling is in control.100 up in the 19th over with the hosts 6 down by then.Harris is being barracked by the locals with calls of "Judas" etc and it seems to effect his line and length or maybe it was the fact he was still rusty from injury.An excellent run out by Simmo of Hogan when he looked home from where we were was confirmed by the TV Decision umpire as being out to baiting of me to sit down shut up as I didn't know what I was talking about,fair comment in this case. A ten minute break only between innings due to time lost to the weather left just enough time for a smoke and a top up on cider (still no tap beer) in the bar.

De-ja-vou.

We left the Welsh members of our party in the bar discussing the merits of the innings they had just seen,returning to our seats just in time to see Malan sky one and depart. Denly followed shortly after have faced an almost unplayable over from the lively Hogan.At 30-3 after "Suicidal Stirling's" wicket falls we begin to thing we might be in a bit of trouble.Morgan and Voges soon join him back in the hutch in successive balls and Simmo sees off the hat trick one.Hogan completes his spell of 5 overs 2 for 23. Dex and Simmo bat sensibly until such time as Simmo holes out to a well taken catch.Ollie gets a "plumb" LBW against him(Sky confirming later that he hit it) and it's 97-7.A feeble attempt at a Mexican wave from the by now more than happy locals fails and we away fans get our one highlight of the day Dex reaching a very good 50,if only some of the others had hung around long enough to help him out the result may have been different to the inevitable home win by 14 runs.With Dex's departure to yet another good catch any chance we had of winning went to.

Afters?

Close of play was near enough 11pm and the ground emptied quickly with people heading for last buses etc. Phil and Richard were off to their Travellodgings,Derek back to Newport and Dave and myself managed to get a bus rather than a £10 cab home.One last beer before a 1am bedtime,it had indeed been a long day.Typing this up on the 9:55am out of Cardiff to Paddington to witness the game versus Gloucs which really must be a better showing than the two games I have seen so far this week. Thanks to everyone in Cardiff for a good couple of days in good company,just a shame the weather did what it always does to Middlesex down there and rained on our parade.